Environmental Rules in Tempe, AZ (2026)
4 verified environmental rules for Tempe, Arizona, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Tempe bans discharging anything but storm water into the public storm drain system under Chapter 12, Article VI of the general code. Section 12-115 sets the purpose: cutting pollutants from spills, dumping, and improper storage to meet the City's federal Clean Water Act and state AZPDES storm water permits, with the Public Works Director enforcing prohibitions, inspections, and civil penalties up to $2,500 per violation per day.
Tempe Storm Water Pollution Control
Significant RestrictionsTempe City Code § 12-115
This article sets forth requirements for the control of pollutants that are or may be discharged to the public storm drain system. The purpose is to improve the quality of storm water discharges and to enable the City to comply with all applicable state and federal laws, including but not limited to, the Clean Water Act (33 United States Code § 1251 et seq.), the National Pollutant Discharge El...
Erosion Control
Anyone doing construction work in Tempe must use temporary and permanent best management practices to keep pollutants and sediment from leaving the site, under general code § 12-128. The rule folds into the City's broader storm water program: builders can't cause a § 12-125 discharge violation and must follow any written BMP guidance from the Public Works Director or Community Development Director, with a ten-day window to petition for reconsideration.
Tempe Construction Site Erosion Control
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 12-128
Any person performing construction shall use all temporary or permanent best management practices, control measures, to minimize pollutants and sediment from leaving the construction site. This is in addition to what may be required in Section 19-50 (hauling waste fill or waste excavation material) of the Tempe City Code. At a minimum, the person shall do both of the following:(1)Not cause or c...
Flood Zones
Any grading, construction, fill, or manufactured-home placement inside a Special Flood Hazard Area shown on Tempe's FEMA flood maps needs a floodplain permit from the City Engineer before Community Development issues a building permit. Tempe City Code § 12-16 frames flood-loss prevention as the article's purpose, and § 12-27 spells out what the permit application must show, including lowest-floor elevation and floodproofing certification for non-residential buildings.
Tempe Floodplain Development Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsTempe City Code § 12-27
A floodplain permit shall be obtained before construction or development begins, including placement of manufactured homes, within any Special Flood Hazard Area established in Section 12-20. Application for a floodplain permit shall be made on forms furnished by the Floodplain Administrator and may include, but not be limited to, plans, in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing the nature, location...
Flood Elevation Requirements
Tempe requires new construction in a Special Flood Hazard Area to sit at or above the Regulatory Flood Elevation (RFE), a City-only standard one foot higher than FEMA's base flood elevation. Tempe City Code § 12-18 defines the RFE, and § 12-29(3)(a) requires residential lowest floors, including basements, to be elevated to or above it, with a registered engineer or surveyor certifying the finished elevation to the Floodplain Administrator.
Tempe Regulatory Flood Elevation Standard
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 12-29(3)(a)
a.Residential construction. Residential construction, new or substantial improvement, shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above the regulatory flood elevation;i.In an AO zone, elevated to or above the regulatory flood elevation, or elevated at least two (2) feet above the highest adjacent grade if no depth number is specified...
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